A "Multi-Disk, Multi-Drive Format Program"
by Bob Retelle (MACE, WAUG!)

    Whenever I buy a box of new disks, I usually format them all at once, so I
don't get caught in the middle of something without a disk to save onto.
Unfortunately, formatting disks has to be one of the most boring tasks known
to man. Even the attempts to liven things up by putting 'R-Rated' pictures in
the background of formatting programs hasn't really helped.

    One of the things which really makes it annoying to format a quantity of
disks is the length of time it takes to do one disk. It's long enough to be
really boring to sit through, but not long enough to let you go do something
else. If I wander away while a disk is formatting, I usually end up coming
back 15 minutes later, to find that the disk was finished for at least 12
minutes, and I still have 9 more to go!

    With this in mind, I wrote this formatting program after receiving the new
GFA BASIC Book, from MichTron. The book takes you beyond the 'Basics', into
the inner workings of the ST and this program is built around a highly
modified version of a Format Procedure from the book. With some help from the
GFA BASIC Companion, I had the program up and running very quickly... one of
the nicest things about the GFA BASIC system.

    The 'Multi-Disk, Multi-Drive Formatter' lets you format using BOTH disk
drives, either alternately, or both at once. Thus you can put two disks in,
hit Return and go do something useful while they format. (Note that it DOES
require TWO disk drives to use.) The program does not speed up the actual
formatting. It simply allows you to make better use of the time it takes to
format disks.

    You can choose among three different modes of operation. The first,
"Prompted Formatting" will format the first disk, then pause until you press
Return, giving you a chance to insert a disk into the other drive. The process
will repeat, alternating the disk drives.

    The second mode is "Continuous Formatting". With this option, the program
keeps alternating drives automatically, without pausing. While it formats the
first disk, it prompts you to insert the next, and automatically formats the
second drive when the first is finished, back and forth.

    The third mode of operation is probably the most useful. With
"Simultaneous Formatting", you insert two disks and press Return. The program
will format both disks at the same time, then ring a bell to call you back to
pop in the next two disks.

    Originally I wrote the formatter using the GFA BASIC Companion to create
the text boxes and 'Radio Button' boxes, but the policy of Michtron and
Marathon Computer Press is that the .LST routines created by the Companion can
only be distributed in programs which are either Compiled or PSAVED (The
Companion actually writes Procedures, or subroutines, which you Merge into
your own program. It's an excellent time saver!). For this version of the
program, I used the coordinates which the Companion had calculated, and
created far simpler text boxes for the various prompts. Instead of the Radio
Button box for the formatting parameters, I just used a series of standard
Alert boxes.

    To save space and typing time, the program is set up for a Color monitor,
in Medium Resolution, but the coordinates for a Monochrome monitor are also
given in comments. If you have a monochrome monitor, simply substitute these
numbers for the ones in the program. Also note that the formatting program
will only run in Medium Resolution, on a color monitor

    You can choose from the standard selection of formatting parameters by
selecting the appropriate buttons in the Alert boxes. The choices include 9 or
10 sectors per track, 80 or 82 tracks per disk, and Single or Double sided
formatting. The standard Atari format is 9 sectors and 80 tracks. By choosing
more sectors and tracks, you can increase the amount of data the disk will
hold, but at some risk of incompatibility and reliability. Additionally, some
recent Atari disk drives will ONLY format 80 tracks per disk. I *always*
format at 10 sectors, 82 tracks and have never had a problem, but that doesn't
mean that *you* won't.

    The program defaults to 9 sectors, 80 tracks and Single sided formatting,
but the listing shows where you can change these defaults to customize the
program for the parameters you prefer. That way, you can just hit Return at
the Alert boxes to choose the set-up you like best.

    One last little feature I added was to customize the Mouse pointer into a
Kitten, for a special friend. The GFA BASIC disk includes a Mouse/Sprite
Editor which makes it extremely easy to add this little touch to your own
programs. Unfortunately, all the Alert boxes in this version cause the pointer
to revert back to the default arrow shape, but it's enough to give you the
idea.

    Something I'd like to add in a future version of the formatting program
would be a "Twister" format for faster reading of the disk, but that's a
subject for another day!

    As with any formatting program, use EXTREME CAUTION to avoid accidentally
erasing any valuable program or data disks. It's best to keep these out of the
area while you're formatting blank disks, just to be sure!

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
